Thieves and Rats
by SquishyBread
Summary: A budding relationship has sprouted in the ZPD workplace, but now isn't the time. Huge cases are popping up from nowhere. Arising drug lords, violet criminals, and tough times await the new boyfriend and girlfriend. Will the relationship survive? Probably. But not unchanged.
1. Intro

Author's note:

 **Well. I had a packed three months and I honestly kind of just needed a break. Sorry to anybody who was loyal to me before this, as I kind of went off the grid without saying anything. My dad had a heart attack and he ended up in the hospital for a while. My long time best friend/boyfriend proposed to me, but my twin brother and my dad are the only ones that like him, though none of them will admit it, so I'm dealing with that.**

 **Well, I just threw three months into a paragraph, so sorry about the lack of complexity and finesse. The story will start slow, but I have a rough layout of what I'm going to do precisely for the next few chapters and roughly for the next ten or so. I plan on an exploration of the Zootopia that I have in my head for the first ten or so chapters and avoid what the movie has shown. I have been reading other Fanfictions in a little bit of free time, and I may or may not adopt some ideas. I promise to change a good amount, but I'm still going to tell you guys where I got the idea from (most likely Uplet. Love the stories). (Also, this isn't Canon to my other stories).**

 **Now, on the subject on other stories, I have plans for my other stories. I kind of threw in chapters that take place in the future, so I severely limited what I could do and I hated the lack of freedom, but I'll toughen up and make it work.**

 **Now, here's the tiny, 200 word introduction to Thieves and Rats.**

Would you be willing to throw everything away in one instant?

Would you be willing to take a chance that could ruin your life?

Will you be there to reap the rewards?

Nick Wilde was willing to. And he'll be there to reap the rewards.

Nick risked everything to be with that bunny.

Neither really knew how the relationship would go. Interspecies relationships were not really addressed too often in the media. Or anywhere else for that matter.

But can you define love as between two of the same species? Animals gave up most of their primal urges when they lived in Zootopia. But the one thing they didn't, can't, and won't take away is love. Love is love, no matter what way you look at it.

But not everyone sees it that way. In some workplaces, interspecies relationships won't be granted entrance or, if you happen to work there, you can lose your job.

The ZPD had no policies of coworker relationships, as Judy had been not only one of the first bunny cop, but also not the, but one of the first female officers. Bogo didn't care what happened when the uniform was off. When it was off, you could be whatever you wanted to be.


	2. Chapter 1: Interruptions

"Do you think we should tell Bogo?" Judy asked, sitting on Nick's couch in his apartment. The wallpaper was peeling off and the entire building smelled of rotting wood.

"I think we have to," Nick replied. He was sitting on the couch next to the rabbit. He awkwardly put his arm around Judy who, in turn leaned into Nick. "That's a big risk if we don't tell him."

Judy felt the slow breathing of the fox. "I guess you're right. How did we end up like this? Worrying about who to tell that we're dating."

"Maybe it was my sense of humor that won you over," Nick suggested. "Or my amazing body."

"You're forgetting that you pronounced your love for me," Judy replied. However, if she was completely honest, Nick had really built up some muscle during the academy. "How long have we been partners?"

"Oh. A year?" Nick replied with uncertainty in his voice. He looked down to the bunny to see her magnificent lavender eyes looking back. "Why?"

"I was wondering if my parents would think we rushed into this relationship," Judy replied. Nick slapped his forehead. He forgot he was going to have to meet the whole family. Nick prayed that he wouldn't have to meet too many rabbits, much less remember their names.

"What if the only Hopps I care about is you?" Nick questioned. He lightly kissed Judy on the top of the head and instantly regretted it. He turned red through his fur. Judy began giggling uncontrollably. "Sorry. That kind of just was instinct."

"Don't worry," Judy replied after finally calming down. "I kind of liked it."

Nick's heart skipped a beat at that sentence.

"You trying to kill me with kindness?" Nick asked, clutching his chest, causing Judy to burst out laughing.

"No, you dumb fox. I have no reason to kill you," Judy replied. "Yet."

BZZZ

BZZZ

BZZZ

Nick's phone buzzed as he was sitting there. He groaned and looked at the number.

"It's work. Good old overtime," Nick explained with a large amount of sarcasm mixed in. "Shall we?"

"You know, in all the free time that I spend with you, our time together always gets cut short," Judy told him. Nick knew it was true. "I mean, even before we were dating."

"I know," Nick replied. He sighed and pushed the green button that he was coming to hate. "Hello?"

Judy, even with her extreme hearing capabilities, couldn't make out what the mammal on the other end was saying.

"Alright," Nick replied. He hung up the phone.

"You gotta go in?" Judy asked.

"We," Nick corrected. They both stood up. "Thank you for this. I really enjoyed it."

"Me too," Judy replied, walking to the door. Nick opened it for her. "See you at work."

"What do we have?" Judy asked, opening the passenger door to the cruiser outside her apartment, where Nick was waiting for her.

"Murder case," Nick replied. He took a bite of a muffin. "Want some?" He said through a full mouth.

"I didn't realize that we were at the sharing food phase," Judy told him. She took the muffin and took a bite, as she had almost no food in her system. The muffin was fair.

"So," Judy started, before deciding that she should swallow her bite. "Any details on the murder?"

"I've heard it's more like a torture," Nick replied. "Really brutal stuff."

"Ugh," Judy shuddered, quite glad she hadn't eaten anything else today. This stuff always made her queasy.

"It was El Diablo, though," Nick replied.

"The drug dealer?" Judy asked. The ZPD had been on the tail of the guy for quite a while now, though they had no evidence linking any mammal to the dealer. "Don't you think he would play it safe in his situation? He got himself on the ZPD's radar almost immediately after the Bellwether case."

"Maybe a deal went bad?" Nick asked optimistically. That was the most logical answer. "From what Delgato texted me, it looks like homicide should be on this case-"

"But they aren't," Judy replied. "Meaning the victim has -er… had some sort of a connection to something in the ZPD. Maybe a cold case? Maybe this isn't the first time El Diablo got his paws dirty."

"Here," Nick said handing her a packet while at a red light. "You're right on the cold case. Three murders before. I haven't dug that deep into them, so anything important, tell me."

"Sure," Judy told the fox as she flipped through the case file. "Nothing good here."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to look them over after you're done," Nick told Judy.

"Sure," Judy replied, putting the file back. "I did learn one thing."

"What?" Nick asked, cheering up.

"It'll be a long day," Judy told him.


	3. Chapter 2: Family Relations

Nick slid the plastic glove over his paw and entered into the room. His partner had quickly volunteered to stay outside and search the exterior of the suburban home.

"Sucks that we have to be here on our day off," Nick said, searching the dresser. He was just trying to make conversation. The silence was killing him.

"Tell me about it," Wolford told Nick while searching the room. The master bedroom was small, but well decorated besides the blood stains. "Where's Judy?"

"Outside," Nick replied lazily.

"Do you think she's dating?" Wolford asked.

"Why do you ask?" Nick asked, raising an eyebrow. He hoped that he could keep the whole thing as secret as possible.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just… I don't know. I think she deserves someone to treat her well," Winford replied. "You know, you two wouldn't make a terrible couple."

"Wha-?" Nick asked, trying not to sound suspicious. "There's not really that many interspecies relationships. Ones between predator and prey are rare. And ones between natural enemies are unheard of."

"Well, for natural enemies, you two get along really well," Fix told Nick. "Look. I'm not trying to make any decisions for you. I'm just saying how it would seem."

"She's just a friend and just a friend. I'm done talking about this," Nick said, desperately trying to change the topic.

"Alright," Wolford replied. "See the game?"

"Which one?" Nick asked.

"Baseball," Wolford replied. "Medium Predator class."

"Yeah," Nick replied. "Judy and I watched it."

"Just friends, huh?" Wolford asked, laughing. Nick turned red. "Alright. I'm sorry. I'm done."

"Finally," Nick said, sounding tired.

"I didn't realize you were that desperate to get out of the conversation. It was just lighthearted jokes," Wolford told.

"No. I've got something," Nick told Wolford. He picked up a shell casing and showed it to Wolford. "Shooter didn't police his brass."

"Good spot," Wolford told him. He patted Nick on the back way too hard. "Err… Sorry."

"Why would the shooter go through all the trouble of quietly killing his victim in his own bedroom, only to leave behind evidence?" Nick asked. He rubbed his shoulder gingerly.

"Maybe he counted the number of shots wrong," Wolford suggested. "But there's only one slug. Damn."

"Well. I guess we'll have to let forensics deal with the rest," Nick said. The two left the well searched bedroom and walked outside to the evidence van. Nick put the shell inside a bag and put it in the van.

"Find anything?" Judy asked, walking up to him.

"Bullet casing," Nick replied. "You?"

Judy held up her gloved paw. Nick didn't see anything.

"What am I looking for?" Nick asked.

"A strand of fur," Judy explained. "Trapped in the windowsill."

"Nice find," Wolford encouraged. "Well. As much fun as I had, I'm going to head back to precinct. I have some paperwork to do." Nick and Judy both knew what about. About a week earlier, Wolford discharged his weapon while chasing a criminal. The shot grazed the criminal and struck a young giraffe, killing it. Wolford had been drowning in paperwork this week and most mammals were absolutely enraged about how an officer of the law could do something like that. Now, Wolford, his daughter, and his girlfriend were receiving death threats. Judy wanted to comfort the wolf, but didn't know how, so she told the truth.

"We've got to talk to Bogo anyways," Judy told Wolford.

Nick and Judy assisted the other officers for a few hours before leaving and heading back to precinct. They weren't nearly as lucky as they were earlier. Judy found evidence that proved the body wasn't moved and Nick wasted four hours only to come up empty handed.

Judy sighed. "Once we knock on that door, there's no going back."

"I'm ready," Nick told her. Nick knocked twice on the door.

"Come in," was called from inside. Nick reached up and pulled the handle. "What is it?"

"Chief. We need to explain," Judy told him.

And so, they did. They explained how the relationship started, that neither of them knew where it would go, that they knew the statistics on interspecies relationship success rates, that the relationship wouldn't affect their work, and they would like to keep the relationship quiet for awhile. All through the entire explanation, Bogo remained silent, though nodding once or twice.

"Well. I see that I won't have to lecture you two. You two aren't the only relationship in the ZPD as you know. Hell. You aren't the first interspecies relationship in the ZPD. Wolford beat you to that spot. Speaking of Wolford, I need to talk to him," Bogo said. "Anyways, be careful what you do in public. By the sound of it, you two want this a secret. I'd assume that you two haven't told your parents, so I would tell them. I would tell your immediate family. Wilde, your sister. Hopps, your most trusted siblings."

"I'd agree," Judy replied.

"Same," Nick replied.

"Alright. I'd suggest talking to Wolford about this kind of relationship, if you don't mind telling him. I know Clawhauser adores you two, but I'd avoid telling him. The entire city would know by the next morning," Bogo recommended. "These are just suggestions, though. Now, unless there's more, I need to clean up Wolford's mess. You two can have the day off if you don't have any paperwork. We don't need that many officers for a homicide case.

The two thanked Bogo and left the room.

"That was easier than I thought," Judy said. Nick smirked.

"Of course it was, Carrots," Nick replied as they walked down the stairs to the main floor. "Can we agree to put our phones on silent when we're together? I'm seriously starting to hate overtime, even if we get sent home early."

"We got paid for a few hours of almost no work," Judy said. This may have cheered Nick up on another day, but not today.

"Look. Carrots. I'm just used to working on my own schedule," Nick told Judy. "If I didn't want to go to work, I didn't have to. There was no such thing as overtime. I- Carrots?"

"I've got paperwork," Judy explained. "Don't you?" Nick shook his head. "What about the drug bust?"

"Wasn't there. Home with food poisoning," Nick told her. "How do you not remember? You brought me some soup."

"Was it really only that long ago?" Judy asked, straining her memory. Nick was right.

"Yeah. We went to the Thai place on Wednesday and I had the symptoms the next morning," Nick explained.

"Only five days ago. Yeah. You're right," Judy replied. She typed away at her computer, knowing Nick was looking over her shoulder. She didn't really care though. She grew up with 400 siblings and no sense of privacy what so ever.

"Will this take long?" Nick asked impatiently.

"I might be here for an hour or two. Go ahead and head back to your apartment. Do you want to hang out after?" Judy asked.

"Any waking moment without you is a moment wasted," Nick told Judy.

"That's really sweet, Nick. Thank you," Judy thanked. "My apartment or yours?"

"Yours is probably cleaner," Nick told her. "And nicer. But I really don't care," Nick told her. Nick, however, did care. He enjoyed Judy's apartment much more. It reminded him of a better life. Of what an innocent life was like.

"Sure. My spare is hidden under a small piece of concrete on the border of my parking spot," Judy told Nick.

"You don't have a car," Nick replied.

"Eh. The spot came with the apartment," Judy countered. It was free, but she had planned on getting a car instead of using public transport. On most days, she could even walk to work. It'd just be a long walk. "I would need a car if I ever headed out of town not by train."

"It's not like you go out of town," Nick told her.

"If I ever do," Judy replied. "Oh cheese and crackers. My parents are visiting me this week."

"What days?" Nick asked.

"Tomorrow and Friday," Judy replied. "I'd like you to meet them, as my partner. We've been dating for a month, Nick. I'm not going to tell them this early."

"Alright," Nick replied. He knew he was not going to be comfortable around Judy's parents, but at least he was going to meet them as the one who keeps Judy alive in the field (though it was more the the other way around). "Just text me a time and place. Is there anything else before I go?"

"I don't think so," Judy replied. "I just bought a TV, so feel free to watch it."

"Thanks, Carrots," Nick told Judy. He walked out of the ZPD headquarters and walked out to the bus stop. He stood for a minute before deciding that he would just walk and the exercise wouldn't kill him.

Nick walked up to the parking spot. He flipped over a couple of pieces of concrete before finding the key.

Nick got no weird looks on his way in. Nick knew where Judy's apartment was, but he was reassured by the sounds of yells through the wall. Nick chuckled to himself.

"Did you hear that from Judy's room?"

"Oh shut up! Stop avoiding the question!"

"Seriously. That sounded like a guy laughing."

Nick didn't hear what the other said, but he knew they both were listening through the wall, as he heard the bangs of their antlers against the wall.

"I don't hear anything."

"I'm not doing anything," Nick said. There was silence for a moment.

"It's just Nick. See? Nothing to worry about."

"What's Nick doing in her apartment without her?"

"Who cares? I'm assuming she knows. Now stop avoiding the conversation! What did you see?!"

Nick turned up the TV so that the yelling was background noise. Nick was surprised to see that Judy could fit this much into her apartment. He didn't hear his phone buzz on the bed. What he heard five minutes later was something that made his heart sink.

"Stu. This is the apartment."

Nick immediately flipped off the TV and searched for his phone. He saw a missed call and a text saying: "NICK! My parents came early! Get out!"

Nick groaned and thought of a story.

He opened the door.

"I'm sor-" Stu started.

"It's my fault. First off, I'm Nick. Judy's partner. I'm assuming that you two are Judy's parents. Second, Judy's letting me stay while the exterminator takes care of the apartment building. Your daughter is a lifesaver, Mr and Mrs Hopps," Nick said. It came out not as perfect as he had hoped, but it was solid.

"Please. Stu," Stu said, holding out his paw. "Nice to meet the mammal that keeps our Judy safe on the job."

"I do my best," Nick said.

"Mom! Dad!" Judy called, running up to her. "Nick. I'm sorry. I should have given you a better warning. Where are you going to head?"

"The exterminator isn't done, so I'm probably going to head out for dinner," Nick lied. He was going to go back to his apartment, eat some leftover two week old Chinese food that was about to go bad and watch a movie.

"Well. Have fun. Sorry that this didn't work out as well as you hoped," Judy replied. Judy noticed a mistake that she made.

"It's our fault that we came early," Stu replied.

'Please don't go any farther.' Nick and Judy both thought to themselves.

"We could buy you dinner," Stu offered.

"Thank you, but I'll manage," Nick replied.

"It's no trouble," Bonnie added. Nick didn't want to disagree with the bunnies he would have to tell that he was dating their daughter in a few months.

"Alright," Nick replied. He started hatching a plan of 'escape'.

"So," Stu said, digging into his mushroom sandwich. "Have you guys solved any big cases lately?"

"We did a drug bust four days ago. Nick had food poisoning, though," Judy replied. "Not the biggest one we've done, but it was a decent sized on."

"I heard about that," Bonnie explained. "It seems that there's more and more of those."

"Tough job when a new drug lord pops up out of thin air and all the existing ones are trying to beat him," Nick explained after finishing his soup.

"Well. At least you guys have never been hurt on the job," Bonnie said. Judy instinctively reached down and rubbed the scar on her leg. She never did tell her parents. "You know, Nick. Judy talks about you a lot."

"I consider her a good friend of mine," Nick replied.

"Have you found yourself someone, Nick?" Stu asked. Nick looked at Judy through the corner of his eye.

"Yeah. I think I have. She's not like the others I've dated before. She really makes me happy. And I get to see her pretty often," Nick said.

"Even with your schedule?" Bonnie asked.

"Our schedules match up except for one day," Nick explained.

"Do you think she's okay with you working with Judy?" Stu asked.

"Yeah," Nick replied. "I think so."

"I've met her. She's pretty smart," Judy added. Nick fought every urge to laugh.

"Why didn't you stay with her?" Stu asked. He finishes his sandwich while Nick talked.

"I was, but then some things came up," Nick replied. His phone buzzed. It was a text from his sister.

'Nick. I need to talk to you. Where are you? It's urgent.'

'I'm having dinner.' Nick typed into his phone.

"Sorry. My sister texted me," Nick explained.

"Do you need to go?" Judy asked.

"Yeah," Nick replied. He pulled out some cash and put it on the table. "It was a pleasure."

"Likewise," Stu replied. Nick stood and left the restaurant and stood under the overhang. It was now lightly raining. He pulled out his phone and clicked on his sister's contact. He hit the green call button.

"Hello?" Sophie asked.

"Soph. It's Nick. What do you need to talk to me about?" Nick asked.

"Dad visited me," Sophie told Nick. He could tell she was crying

"I'll be right there," Nick told Sophie. He hailed a taxi and rode it to her apartment complex. He got out and looked at the building. The rain had picked up and Nick knew Judy would have taken a taxi home. He buzzed the number and waited patiently. He was buzzed in, no questions asked. Nick realizes he was wearing his uniform still. Nick walked into the apartment to find his little sister sobbing on the couch. Her fur was a fiery red, paired with piercing blue eyes, which were filled with tears. "Hey. Hey. It's alright."

"Why is he so inconsiderate?!" Sophie asked through her sobs.

Nick sat on the couch next to her and wrapped his arm around her. "Hey. Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."


	4. Chapter 3: Ideals Clash

Nick opened his eyes and blinked out the gunk. He rubbed them for extra measure and looked around. He was still in his uniform and on the couch of Sophie's apartment.

Nick looked around the apartment. It was a bit smaller than Nick's but it was in much better condition. It felt like you could raise a family in it. The furniture was solid, the walls were in good condition, and you could see out of the window.

"Thanks for being here for me," Sophie told Nick, sitting in an armchair across from Nick. "I'm sorry that I interrupted your dinner. I just didn't know who to call. Mom would worry too much and you're my only other family."

"Dad left us," Nick told her. "I'm here for you."

"He left you twice," Sophie told Nick. "I couldn't imagine how you feel. I know you. You cap your feelings, Nick. One of these days, you're going to pop. Make sure you're not around your friends or girlfriend."

"You know?" Nick asked, taken back for a moment.

"Judy's the only mammal you spend more outside time with than me and Mom. We both suspected it for some time," Sophie told Nick. "I support you, Nick. I've got your back."

"Thank you," Nick thanked. He looked out the window. It was thundering now, but Nick knew it was still dark out. He figured it was about five am. He had gotten into the habit of waking up early at the academy. "Do you want to talk about his visit?"

"Not really, but I guess it'll help," Sophie told Nick. She sipped her cup of water and began. "Well. I was here, doing some everyday chores before heading out with my friends, when I heard a knock on the door. I assumed it was Lily, one of my friends, so I answered it."

"And it was Dad," Nick finished for her. She nodded and took another sip of water.

"He came in and immediately found any flaws about anything he saw. He then moved to my life, saying I was a worthless child and an embarrassment to the family. I told him to leave, but refused to do so. Finally when I threatened to call the cops, he slapped me before leaving," Sophie finished. "I'm not going to bother filing charges against him. I've made up my mind on that."

"God," Nick said, looking at Sophie in amazement. He rubbed his head. "Your story probably wouldn't hold up in court anyways. Sorry Soph, but you have no proof any of this happened except for a camera down the hall. I do believe you, though. Don't get that wrong."

"I know my story is shaky at best and I thank you for believing it," Sophie told Nick.

"I believe it because I love you and I know our father," Nick told Sophie. "I also know you're a Wilde. And it takes a lot to bring a Wilde to tears."

"I love having an older brother who's a cop," Sophie said to Nick. He laughed. "I didn't even offer. Do you want anything to drink?"

"That would be great," Nick told her. "Just a water, though. I don't feel like coffee."

"When do you work?" Sophie asked while getting Nick his water. Nick looked off towards the city being lit up by flashes of light.

"It's Thursday. I have Wednesdays and Thursdays off, though I can be called in for overtime on one of those days. I was called in yesterday," Nick told Sophie. He took the water and started sipping it.

"Are you going to hang out with Judy?" Sophie asked. Nick swallowed what was in his mouth before answering.

"No," Nick replied, shaking his head. "Her parents are in town, so I'm going to leave her alone today and tomorrow, unless she comes to work tomorrow, which is unlikely."

"You like her, don't you?" Sophie asked. Nick nodded. He had moved from investigating the scene outside to the conversation inside.

"She's not like the others I've dated," Nick told her. He sighed. "She makes me feel like I've never felt before. She sees me for who I am. Sure, she isn't a fox, but she's the first animal to look at me as if I wasn't. She looks at me like a fellow mammal."

"I understand," Sophie told Nick.

Judy awoke quite roughly. Usually, she wakes up at five. But on her days off, that can stretch to seven or eight. She looked over to the clock. However, she realised that she wasn't in her bed. She was in the recliner that she managed to get in there.

She looked at her bed to see Bonnie quietly sleeping next to Stu, who was snoring loudly. Her alarm clock read 5:41. She scribbled a quick note in case her parents woke up before she was back.

'I headed out to grab some breakfast. I'll be back soon. -Judy'

Judy was going to grab breakfast for them, but she also wanted to personally apologize to Nick about yesterday. She put the note on the nightstand and left the room, making as little noise as possible. Judy pulled up Nick's contact on her phone and called the number.

"Hello?" Nick asked.

"Nick. I wanted to say that I'm so sorry about yesterday," Judy told Nick.

"Nothing to apologize for, Carrots," Nick told her. "I met the parents of my girlfriend. So be it."

"Anyways. I'm grabbing breakfast for my parents. I'll be going by your apartment. Want anything?" Judy asked.

"I actually spent the night at my sister's place, so I'm good," Nick told her. "She's pretty shook up."

"Okay," Judy replied. "Will you be able to talk tonight?"

"I should be free," Nick told her. "You coming in tomorrow?"

"I'm working the 10 to 6 night shift, and my parents are leaving after dinner, so I think I will. I'm probably going to grab a few hours of sleep after the leave, but yeah. I'm coming in. Will I see you?" Judy asked.

"Yeah. I'm working the 6 to 2 night shift, so you might see me," Nick told her optimistically. Judy knew their chances were low unless one or both of them were working security.

"I'll talk to you tonight," Judy told Nick.

"Alright," Nick replied on the other end. He sounded a bit sad about not talking more. "Bye."

"Bye," Judy replied. She hung up. She and Nick had been awkwardly avoiding saying 'I love you', something they had said during their friendship.

"Breaking News. Officer Alexander Wolford opened fire on an armed assailant after being shot in the arm. More on this story soon."

"What happened?" Bogo growled in the hospital room while a doctor wrapped Wolford's arm. A few other officers, Nick, and Judy, who were in civilian clothing, were there.

"I pulled him over. He registered positive for a DUI. I told him hands against the car and to spread his legs. I asked if he had his concealed weapon. I saw the license on his driver's licence. He said that he didn't when he reached for it. He did not announce that he was reaching for it. I attempted to disarm him when he spun around and hit me in the arm. I returned fire," Wolford explained.

"Need I remind you that you shoot to wound? Not to kill," Bogo asked. He moved the curtains and looked out the window to the street below. "The press is building up. McHorn. Will you go disperse them. Tell them that we're getting all the information. Congrats, Wolford. You're more famous than Hopps or Wilde." Bogo said this last sentence extremely sarcastically.

"This never would have happened if the assailant hadn't been carrying a gun legally," Judy said. Nick looked at her.

"Licences for concealed weapons are given for self defense. Those who get them go through background checks. Same for purchasing the weapon," Nick countered.

"Nick. Look at Wolford. If the shot was more to the right, it would have hit his torso," Judy said, slightly annoyed by Nick defending the assailant. "Why are you even defending the assailant?!"

"I'm defending self defense! Wolford did nothing wrong. The assailant shot first. But say Wolford wasn't a cop and say he was a drug lord coming after the assailant because he owed Wolford money. Don't you think that the assailant should be able to fight back?!" Nick now was mad at Judy.

"Oh come on, Nick! How can you be so naive?! People don't need to store firearms in the small of their back or anywhere else for that matter," Judy replied. Nick stormed out of the room. She realized that everyone was staring at them. She angrily sighed and stormed out of the room as well.

"Officer Hopps!"

"Officer Hopps! What happened?"

"Is Officer Wolford to blame?"

"Will Officer Wolford keep his job?"

Judy stormed past all the press outside the hospital. She found her parents near the back of the crowd.

"Is he okay?" Bonnie asked.

"Wolford was only shot in the arm. He'll make it," Judy told them.

"And what about your partner?" Stu asked. "He stormed past thirty seconds ago."

"We had an argument," Judy explained.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie told her. She rested her paw on Judy's shoulder.

"It's not your fault," Judy reassured her, gripping her paw.

"Hopps!" Bogo called to her. He jogged over to Judy. "How much have you explained?"

"Nothing," Judy replied.

"I'm not talking about Wolford," Bogo told her. Judy realized that he was talking about the relationship.

"Same answer," Judy replied.

"Is it still going?" Bogo asked. Judy shrugged. She was still fuming over Nick.

"I don't know," Judy replied. "Chief. With all due respect, why do you care?"

"You're the best on the force. That's why," Bogo replied.

Judy sat alone in her apartment, her parents just leaving. She was browsing through the photos of her and Nick. They looked so happy.

Judy knew in the bottom of her heart, she had been harsh on Nick. His point of view was on much sturdier ground than hers, but she dreaded violence. She just expressed it harshly.

Judy sighed and opened her contacts. She found Nick's contact. She pushed the call button.

It rang and rang with no answer.

 **Sorry about the short chapter. I was pressed for time and I was only halfway done with the chapter, so I found the best spot I could cut it where it would make sense. I won't have a lot of time to write for a week-ish, so don't expect anything. If I somehow manage to finish the next chapter, think of it as a little surprise.**


	5. Chapter 4 - Rebounding

Nick splashed some cold water onto his face back in his apartment and examined his fur. He needed to get it trimmed. He groaned when he saw the grey strand, a tell of his family. He brushed his teeth and gargled some mouthwash.

Nick wiped his face on a towel and grabbed the paint bucket next to the bathroom door. His lease let him repaint his apartment and repair wall damage. He just never got to it. He had already repaired the drywall and was now to the painting stage. Nick had chose a dark green for the living room and kitchen.

Nick enjoyed the apartment because it was a short walk to work, even though he had two parking spots. He also liked it because of the price. Though he never needed it, Nick had a two bedroom two bathroom apartment for less than $2000 a month.

Nick spent the next several hours painting the apartment. He repaired all the walls and painted over all of them. Nick groaned as he stood up from the bottom of the last wall. He had painted the master bedroom a deep red. Nick debated on whether to go furniture shopping or wait until next week.

'Screw it,' Nick thought to himself, plopping himself onto the mattress in the middle of the room. He scrolled through Zootopia Furniture Mart's website, looking for some furniture to match the room. Nick figured he would do all his shopping online and have it delivered. Nick looked at his watch. 4:00 pm. He had missed lunch.

Nick browsed the fridge, leaving his phone on the mattress. He tossed out the old Chinese, as it was moldy. He tossed the Thai as a precaution. It was probably what gave him food poisoning. Nick settled for making himself a sandwich. He plopped it together lazily onto a plate and made his way back to his phone. It was buzzing.

Nick looked at the caller id. It was Judy. Nick hesitated for a minute before picking up the phone.

"Hello?" Nick asked.

"I'm sorry. I went too far, Nick," Judy said immediately into the phone. Nick knew that Judy wasn't really into holding grudges. "I want you to know that I feel terrible about the whole thing. You don't have to forgive me. Just know that I messed up and I'm doing my best to fix it."

"Well. You did a good job," Nick replied. "I forgive you, Judy. And I over reacted when I stormed out of the room. I'm sorry about that."

"Can we forgive each other?" Judy asked.

"Of course, Carrots. I promise to be there for the rest of time," Nick told her. It was the most poetic thing he could think of.

"Thank you, Nick," Judy replied.

"Hey. Sorry to spoil the moment, but I've got to get ready for work," Nick told Judy. "I'll see you tonight?"

"If I can," Judy replied. "Bye."

"Bye," Nick said, hanging up the phone. He tossed the phone onto the mattress and huffed. "How did I get here?"

Nick walked into the living room. He pointed the industrial fans towards the window instead of the door and opened the window. He unscrewed the hinges on the window and went back to the kitchen. He slid the huge box all the way to the living room and unwrapped the window pane from the bubble wrap and paper. He attached the window pane and swung the window. He didn't enjoy the stained glass window. He now could actually see outside. He never really knew how great his view was.

Nick stripped and hopped into the shower, washing away any paint on his fur and the smell. He made his way to the dresser and got dressed into uniform. He still had half an hour before he had to leave.

Judy waltzed into precinct and plopped herself into the bullpen. She didn't hate the night shift, but it was her least favorite shift.

"Alright. I am tired and want to go home," Bogo said, walking into the room. "So let's get this over with. Brenner, Golden, James. Patrol. Hopps, Kinnley. Investigation. Files are on your desks. Delgato. Security."

Judy made her way out of the bullpen and to her cubicle. She flipped through the file. Missing wolf cub.

"Looks like this'll be easy, Hopps," Kinnley said to her, also looking through the file. He was a short coyote, a few inches taller than Nick. He was Judy's partner when Nick was in the academy. "Should be done by three a.m."

"Hopefully," Judy said optimistically.

Judy rode shotgun with Kinnley to the designated address. Judy let her mind travel during the trip. She still felt bad about getting mad at Nick.

"You good, Hopps?" Kinnley asked. Judy moved from looking out the window to looking at Kinnley.

"Yeah. I think so," Judy replied.

"So. Your little 'episode' with Wilde," Kinnley suggested.

"We made up," Judy told Kinnley. "How'd you know about that? You weren't there."

"Word spreads quickly at the ZPD," Kinnley told Judy. Judy knew this already. It's why no officers knew about Nick and her.

Judy moaned as she came home and layed on her bed. She may have loved her apartment a year ago, but she hated it at this point. Judy knew she didn't need the sleep and that it'd be difficult for her to get some anyways.

Judy opened her phone and pulled up the internet. She started browsing through apartments for rent. She found plenty of options, but not any within a price range she could afford. She sighed. Maybe she was stuck here for awhile.

Judy turned her phone off and layed it down onto her chest. It dinged, startling Judy.

'You awake?' Nick texted.

'Yeah' Judy replied.

'Want to hang out and grab some breakfast?' Nick asked.

'Absolutely' Judy texted back. 'That one diner has great breakfast. How does that sound?'

'Great. Meet me there in twenty minutes?' Nick asked.

'Sure. See you then' Judy texted back.

Judy grabbed her apartment keys and slipped them into her pocket. Judy looked into the mirror before she left. She didn't look great. She had an oversized "ZPD" shirt on and was wearing a pair of old sweatpants. Judy had time, so she changed into a sweater and jeans.

Judy walked out of her apartment complex and down the street. She was walking down the street when she saw a familiar face. She jogged to catch up.

"Guess who?" Judy told Nick.

"Hmm… it couldn't happen to be my favorite bunny, could it?" Nick asked turning to Judy. "Hey, Judy."

"Hey, Judy," Judy imitated. Nick got a kick out of this.

"Not bad, Carrots," Nick replied, laughing. "On a more serious note, I think the job is getting to me. I found my first grey fur."

"Congrats, Nick. You're getting older. You're 31… wait. What's the date?" Judy asked.

"27th," Nick replied.

"So you are still 31. Not for long, though, fox," Judy replied.

"You better not throw me a party like you did last year," Nick replied. "I still can't believe you got half the ZPD in on it. Chief didn't even know it was my birthday until you pointed it out."

"We were best friends," Judy explained. "You were the one person I trusted with my life. You still are. By the way, I changed my emergency contact to you."

"I'm honored. I already did the same, though," Nick replied. Judy smiled. They entered the diner and sat down.

"Nick? Is that you?" a vixen in a waitress outfit asked.

"Christina. Hey," Nick replied. He looked at Judy. "She's an old friend from high school."

"Cool," Judy replied.

"Wow. It's been years. Valedictorian of senior year, and this is where I end up working. And geeky Nick Wilde ended up as first fox cop," Christina said.

"Geeky?" Judy asked. Nick turned bright red. Judy giggled. "Now I need to know."

"I figured with you two being partners and everything that Nick would have told you," Christina said. "Nobody knew what Nick did in his spare time, so he was always teased by mammals thinking he did something dorky. In all reality, he was providing for his mom and little sister, but nobody knew that. They just saw him selling popsicles with a cheesy name."

"So they called him geeky?" Judy asked.

"No. It was his plans that got him that name. He wanted to be… what was it?" Christina asked.

"An engineer," Nick replied. "But I couldn't pay for college and my grades slipped junior year."

"But now you're a cop," Christina replied. "The first fox cop. And you're partnered with the first bunny cop. Anyways. What can I get you guys to drink?"

"Water," Judy replied.

"Coffee," Nick replied.

Christina walked into the kitchen, leaving Nick and Judy with a few early risers.

"What did you do at work?" Nick asked.

"Missing wolf cub. We got the guy. Just a matter of time before we find the cub," Judy replied, eying the diner. It was small and a bit cramped, but clean. "You?"

"Patrol. One graffiti artist. Nothing else," Nick replied, leaning forward. "So. Where am I your emergency contact?"

"Work and my insurance," Judy replied. "Me?"

"Same," Nick replied. Christina came and set the drinks in front of them. Nick took a sip of coffee. "I love you, Judy."

Judy coughed into her water, spilling a fair amount. "What?"

"You heard me right," Nick said, trying to play it nonchalantly, though his heart rate said otherwise.

"Good," Judy replied, kissing Nick on the cheek. He went wide eyed and bright red. "I love you too."

There was nothing that could have reassured Nick more than those four words.

"What can I get you two?" Christina asked, walking over and obviously not seeing the last ten seconds.

"I will have your blueberry pancakes," Nick replied.

"I will get your 'Early Riser Salad' without the sweet dressing," Judy told Christina, cleaning her mess and handing the menu to her. "Thank you."

"No problem," Christina told Judy. She took Nick's menu and walked off.

"Now that that's off my chest, what's new in your life?" Nick asked, leaning back in the booth.

"I'm planning on moving," Judy told Nick. "But I can't afford anything."

"I'm renovating my apartment right now, but you can move in if you want to after," Nick suggested. "We could split the rent."

"Thank you, Nick. I kind of want to take this slow, though," Judy replied. Nick didn't blame her.

"Hey. How much sleep did you get?" Nick asked, realizing that he probably was taking Judy away from a fair amount.

"4 hours," Judy replied. "Don't worry. I got some while my parents went out with my triplet brother and sister, both of whom live in the city. Within the past 24 hours, I've had 8 hours of sleep."

"I never thought of you being having a twin, much less two triplets," Nick replied. "I just figured that you were just special."

"I am," Judy replied, defiantly, causing Nick to smile.

"Of course you are," Nick told her. "You know. One of these days, I'll have to thank your parents. They raised a beautiful daughter that got me off the streets."

"I'm sure you would have gotten off just fine without me, slick. You're a sly fox," Judy encouraged.

"Well. You couldn't have solved the Bellwether case if it weren't for me, so maybe you should thank my mother," Nick told Judy. She shrugged.

"Maybe I will," Judy said.

The two discussed for a few more minutes before their food came. Nick didn't care about anything after they left besides Judy. He was as high as a kite.

Nick and Judy found themselves at Nick's apartment.

"You really weren't kidding about the renovations," Judy said to Nick as they sat on the couch. "So…"

"So what?" Nick asked, his arm around Judy.

"We're going to have to tell our parents if I move in," Judy told Nick. Nick shrugged.

"My mom and sister know. I told them the morning after I left dinner early," Nick replied. "How are your parents going to react?"

"I have no idea," Judy replied. "Can we talk about something else? Like the 'El Diablo' case?"

"I forgot we were on that," Nick replied.

"Got any underground contacts that could help?" Judy asked, looking to Nick.

"None that the ZPD would endorse," Nick replied. He could only think of one, but the ZPD in no way would endorse him. He had a criminal record and was a small drug dealer himself. "I've got one, but we'd have to use him carefully. Not like you're against that, though, being the godmother of the granddaughter of Mr Big."

"This contact have a name?" Judy asked.

"Chris Lee," Nick replied. "He's a sneaky bastard, always avoiding cops when he gets the chance. He's got a record."

"So there's no room for error," Judy replied. Nick nodded. "Any clue where we find him?"

"I've got an idea," Nick replied. "He can't see me, though."

"I seriously don't like this plan," Judy said, in a disguise that would work for her if she joined a gang. She hated the torn jeans and the black jacket.

"You don't look like Judy Hopps, anymore, though," Nick said. He wrapped his arm around Judy. "You'll be fine. Use the technique I told you, and he should talk to you."

Judy sighed and walked around the corner.

Twelve minutes later, a Tasmanian Devil ran around the corner. Nick held out his foot and tripped him. Not even a second later, Judy appeared.

"We just have a few questions," Nick explained, hoisting Chris up to his feet. Chris was maybe an inch shorter than him.

"You're both Feds. I don't work with Feds," Chris replied, quickly, about to make a run for it. Nick grabbed the back of his neck. Judy was still surprised that Chris didn't have an australian accent that she was expecting.

"Don't hurt him, Nick!" Judy complained.

"Bunnies may not be used to being carried like that, but most predators are," Nick explained. Chris groaned, trying to free himself. "We aren't arresting you, even though we could."

"Alright. What do you want?" Chris asked, wrenching himself from Nick's grip. He stood there, waiting for an answer.

"El Diablo. What do you know about him?" Nick asked.

"Nothing," Chris replied defensively. "He's running me into the ground. His product is dirt cheap and potent beyond belief."

"First hand?" Judy asked.

"Nah. I deal 'em. I don't use 'em. You aren't going to arrest me, right?" Chris asked defensively. Nick looked to Judy. She shrugged.

"If you agree to work with Nick and I, we'll count you as an underground consultant," Judy told Chris. She had just made that up off the top of her head. There was no way he would be off the hook, but they needed him.

"His syndicate is tight. Nobody is allowed in is what I'm told," Chris replied. "Good luck taking him down."

"Surely he leaves a trail," Nick suggested. Chris shook his head.

"Large scale production is outside city limits," Chris told them. "Look. I've told you everything I know. Is that it?"

"For now. Keep your phone nearby. You can go," Nick told him. Chris ran around the corner. "Well. He's on our side now. Something tells me that we haven't seen the last of him."

"I've got the same feeling," Judy told Nick. She looked up at him with her beady, lavender eyes and ridiculous outfit that was so not her. "Well. At least we got him to talk."

"Umm… we need to get to work," Nick told Judy, eying his watch. They both said their goodbyes and took to their own routes. Nick, heading up the street and Judy to the intersection.


	6. Chapter 5 - All-In

"Hopps, Wilde, Wolford. Undercover. Daniels, McHorn. Violence Suppression. Delgato. Patrol. Let's catch this guy," Bogo said. They broke formation and headed to their places.

Judy flipped through the file. They were given full autonomy in order to catch El Diablo. The ZPD had intel that he would be there. Judy didn't want to know how how they got that information in two days, but they did.

Judy rubbed her eyes while reading through it. The lack of sleep was catching up to her. She just had to make it to ten pm, a daunting task.

Judy had to get a disguise when she got to the casino in the Swampland District.

Nick looked through the file. Casino. Swampland. Identify target. Full autonomy. Seemed simple. He didn't like the Swampland, but that wasn't his call. This was their only chance to find out who El Diablo was.

Wolford whistled, breaking the silence of the room. "Full autonomy. That's rare with Chief."

"He's desperate," Nick explained. "That's why we're on this, not precinct… six. It's six, right?"

"Yeah," Judy replied, reading through every line. She saw that they were not to move on the target. They only had to identify them, and they were not to be suspected. "Shall we go?" she asked, finishing the file and closing the folder.

"Yep," Nick replied.

"So we have to identify El Diablo without being noticed," Nick started. "I can't be playing. Nobody trusts a fox."

"Sorry, Nick," Judy consoled. She looked down in disappointment. "I trust you, but I know you know that."

"I'm treated unfairly. So be it," Nick replied to Judy. She was sad to think that Nick had to deal with that for all his life. She had dealt with that most of her life, wanting to be a cop, but she in now way could say that she had gotten her fair share.

"Know how to play Texas Hold 'em?" Wolford asked, getting out of his uniform and into some clothes that the casino had kindly offered. Judy shrugged.

"I have two hundred brothers. Yeah. I know how to play," Judy replied. Nick shook his head and chuckled. Judy never ceased to surprise him.

Judy walked over to the corner of the room and began to change into casual clothing. If you would consider a flowing, black dress casual. She couldn't help but notice that Nick was watching her.

"Eyes on your uniform," Judy told Nick. She saw him quickly turn in the corner of her eye. "So. Basic background? Name, rough backstory, and a profession?"

"As a baseline? Sure. Think I could pull off a Daniel Sultan?" Wolford asked. Judy shook her head.

"Too foreign. You'd have to pull off an accent. Andrew Garvey?" Judy suggested. Wolford shrugged.

"Works for me. And you are?" Wolford asked.

"Lily Johnson," Judy replied, pulling out her great aunt's wedding ring and sliding it onto her right ring finger. It was her gift to Judy while on her deathbed. "I'll work at one of the high stakes tables. It'd be best if you played at a couple high stakes tables."

"Here," Nick said, passing them both comms. "Keep in touch."

Nick found himself patrolling the high stakes tables. They were betting big that El Diablo would play high stakes (I actually didn't intend on the pun).

Nick looked to Wolford. He was using the Casino's chips, courtesy of his own hard earned money. Nick knew he would get refunded by the ZPD, but it was still not necessary.

Nick had slid into the existing guard patrol himself, making sure to see as much as he could, but not interrupt the ones whose paychecks were paid for by the casino.

"Yo. You new?" an elk asked. Nick reached into his pocket and revealed his badge, careful to not let any other mammals see. To his surprise, the elk flashed his own badge. ZBI. "We're looking for the same guy, aren't we. How much info you got on him?"

"Near squat," Nick replied. "You?"

"We're in the same boat," the elk replied. "Look we need to get ahold of our bosses."

Judy went on, dealing hand after hand at the poker table. Many came and went. Most busted, but a certain bunny was doing well.

"Dealer. Can I buy you a drink? I owe my winnings to you."

"No thanks," Judy replied, attempting to not be hit on. "I don't drink."

"Ah come on. You don't have to drink it. I just want to talk."

Judy heard static from the comm.

"We've got ZBI on the casino floor. I'm here with agent Broadrack. We talked to his boss as well as Bogo. We're looking through the security cameras now," Nick said through the comms. Judy tapped her own comm, making a bit of noise that she hoped Nick would hear. She had a strange feeling about the bunny. The last mammal besides the bunny left, leaving Judy alone with the bunny. As if a gift from above, Wolford walked past her, in an employee suit.

"Take over for me?" Judy asked. Wolford eyed Judy then the bunny.

"Fine. If I get yelled at, I'm dragging you with me," Wolford told her.

"Good luck," Nick said through the comm.

"So. You're a casino employee," the bunny started in the hotel room. "You know. I'm a rich and powerful bunny. I could make all your dreams come true."

"What's the catch?" Judy asked, leaning back on the velvet couch. It was so comfortable. She really needed some sleep.

"No catch. You are a truly beautiful bunny. I'm sorry. How did your last marriage end?"

"Look. I don't even know your name, and you expect me to open up?" Judy asked. In reality, she had to think of a story.

"Jack Savage. And you are?" Jack asked.

"Lily Johnson. And my husband was murdered by a fox," Judy told him.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I understand if you don't want another man in your life," Jack told her.

"Maybe I do," Judy replied, trying not to seem closed-minded to Jack. She ran through all the names of known dealers that El Diablo did business with. "Since you're so rich and powerful… what do you do for a living?"

"Business sales. I manage to make a hefty living," Jack told her.

And that's how the night went. Several attempts to get Jack to confess, but to no avail. Judy even attempted to get him drunk, but he closed up even more. All the while, Judy had to keep building a backstory not only faster than Jack could ask, but one that made sense.

Nick groaned as he woke up the next morning. He was sleeping in the a hotel room.

"Morning," Wolford told Nick as he woke up in the main living area in the hotel room. "We kind of set up shop here a bit more than last night. We also got her to put up a couple hidden cameras."

"Anything happen?" Nick asked. Wolford shook his head.

"A bottle of wine went by and there is a small stain under the chair in his room," Judy told Nick, walking out of the bathroom, her fur still damp from showering. "You look cute when you sleep, all curled up in a ball."

"Jesus. What time did you get back?" Nick asked, propping his head onto the couch arm next to him. The room was designed for a larger mammal, about Bogo's size.

"Past two. Wolford was the only one up," Judy replied.

"Should have woken me up," Nick told Judy.

"Oh, get a room, you two," Wolford told them, still monitoring the hidden cams. "Oh shit. He's onto us!"

"How?" Nick asked. He realized he was still in his security uniform. "Forget it. I'll chase him as a security guard. Just tell me where he's headed."

Nick ran out the door and to the stairs. He fumbled with the comm until he could use it. He burst out into the casino.

"Next right," Wolford told Nick.

Nick turned the corner and continued running, careful to avoid the gambling mammals. He ran out of the front doors to see a Furrari drive away.

"Damn it," Nick complained, stomping his foot into the ground.

"I screwed up the camera. It's my fault," Judy said over the comm. "I take full responsibility."

"It was all our faults," Nick replied, not letting Judy go down alone. He would sink to the bottom of the ocean for her.

"YOU WHAT?!" Bogo yelled at them in his office. "I GAVE YOU SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS, YOU THREE! HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO FOLLOW THEM?!"

"Sir. You gave us full autonomy," Judy defended. "I-"

"We," Nick corrected.

"Right. We messed up. We take full responsibility," Judy told Bogo, who sat at his desk, arms crossed and fuming with anger.

"One job, Hopps. It was simple, clear and concise," Bogo complained.

"YOU SENT THE THREE OF US IN WITH NO INFORMATION AT ALL! YOU'RE LUCKY WE MADE IT THIS FAR!" Judy snapped back. Bogo was taken back completely, leaving the room silent. Nick was astonished that Judy would do something like that. She sat back down, breathing heavily.

"I… I'm sorry. I should have given you all more manpower. The failure is on me. But Hopps, that outburst won't go unpunished," Bogo told them, sitting up straight. "Now get the hell out of my office. Go home. All three of you."

Judy walked out of the office to see about a dozen officers within earshot before scowling and marching through them, ignoring the stares.

Judy stormed through the lobby while ignoring the mammals in the lobby. Judy pushed the revolving doors and walked across the scorched parking lot, making sure to not be hit by a car.

Judy jaywalked across the street to the opposite sidewalk when the coast was clear. She walked half a block past on the sidewalk before stopping for lunch. It was 2 PM and she hadn't eaten breakfast.

Judy popped into the nearest restaurant, a fast food joint, and stood in line for ten minutes. She ended up just getting a veggie burger, but it was cheap, tasty, and quick.

Judy ate the burger on the walk home, not being able to wait. She tossed the wrapper into a garbage can and wiped her face with some napkins.

Judy made it to her apartment at about 2:40. She slid the key into her lock and turned. She realized that the door was unlocked. With one hand on her pistol she opened the door slowly. She checked behind the recliner, behind the door, and under the bed. Nobody was in the room. She made sure that she had everything of value.

'I'm never doing that again,' Judy thought to herself. She laid down on the bed. She was exhausted. She texted Nick so that he knew why she wasn't responding and she slept dreamlessly, in her uniform.

Nick knelt down at a grave and sighed. He had no words. He let his head hang and put a bouquet of flowers on the gravestone.

"So you're the one who's been putting the flowers here every Sunday."

Nick turned to face an old Vixen that he called his mother. "You can't blame yourself, Nicky. You have to let go and move on," Nick's mother told Nick. She ruffled the fur on Nick's head while leaning on a cane. "Does Judy know?"

"No," Nick replied coolly. He didn't take his eyes off the gravestone. "Not unless she's read my file. Pretty sure my boss is the only one that knows."

"You should tell her. It isn't going to hurt her, unless you wait to tell her," Nick's mother told him. He nodded.

"Okay, Mom. I will," Nick told her.

"Now when will I get to meet my soon to be daughter in law?" Nick's mother asked.

"We're letting it play out slowly, Mom," Nick told her. He stood up and hugged his mother. "Life is too short."


End file.
